5 minute read
TENEO -School of the future
from The Ridge 121
AFRICA’S NUMBER ONE SCHOOL IN THE CLOUD, TENEO, IS A BLEND OF NEW SCHOOL THINKING COMBINED WITH TIMELESS VALUES, AND THE ABILITY TO OFFER A QUALITY, AFFORDABLE EDUCATION TO ANY CHILD, ANYWHERE
Teneo online school opened its doors three years ago – two years before the word “pandemic” reared its ugly head. Long before the world as we knew it, changed overnight.
Advertisement
Of course, Teneo opened its virtual doors for completely different reasons. They knew online teaching was the future; the answer to a rapidly changing and highly mobile world. And, while the pandemic threw traditional schools upside down – with teachers and parents scrambling to rework their thinking and modus operandi – Teneo has been leading the digital teaching and learning revolution in Africa.
Unsurprisingly, Teneo’s student numbers rocketed to 5 500 over the past few months, as parents recognised the value of this new schooling model, and migrated there. Catering from Grades R to 12, there are two options open to parents: Teneo School, which teaches the South African curriculum; and Teneo International School offering the British curriculum.
Children in Teneo School can learn in English or Afrikaans with the final matric examinations written with SACAI (one of the three examination boards in South Africa). On the British curriculum side, students can achieve their international GCSE, AS and A levels with examinations being done through British international examination centres. All classes are recorded, and students can replay them. This is ideal if they miss a class or, if they have parents who travel, to access classes – live or recorded – from anywhere in the world.
- says Paula van Berkel, Head of Academics.
Unlike other online schools, Teneo is modelled on a traditional school in one major respect. Just as in a bricks-and-mortar classroom, classes operate on a timetable – school starts at 7.45am, and the first class at 8am. All students log in and out of each live class – where they interact with their teacher and peers – write mid-year and year-end exams, produce projects, and parents get school reports.
“At Teneo, cross-curricula activities and projects are fostered, so there is a broader understanding of how maths connects to history, or history to geography,” says Paula. “Plus, we are the first school in Africa and possibly the world, as far as we’re aware, to have a Futures Thinking expert working with us to assist teachers with futures thinking and help integrate it into the traditional curriculum.”
But more than just curriculum, it is a simple philosophy which underpins Teneo – quality schooling for all, no matter where you are. No Wi-Fi? Teneo has partnered with a satellite internet provider to assist.
Having deliberately entered the online learning space, Teneo has researched it extensively, investigated other models and digital platforms, and created their own unique offering.
For their education model, Teneo’s founders took all the elements which work well in a traditional school, and discarded those they consider irrelevant to today or the future. Essentially, they adopted some of those classic values which never date, and added a range of new skills and opportunities which would serve young people well going forward.
“We’re offering a new paradigm of education,” says John Shaw, CEO of Teneo. “This is not ‘home schooling’, it’s way beyond that. It’s the school of the future. We’re equipping young people with the tools to enable them to do things differently in the new world ahead. They’ll need to.”
Unwavering about presenting a quality education, only the best teachers are brought on board. The school has over 200 educators, about 95% of them full time. Teacher hiring is not bound by geophysical barriers as teachers work exclusively in the digital space which enables them to be hired from anywhere in the world … and they are. All are SACE registered, and the vetting process is strict and unconventional – teaching online takes unique skills, including familiarity with technology. Qualifications are a given, but so is a recorded Zoom demo lesson as a key part of their application.
“Our philosophy is that we are a new school, with old school values. We’re preparing kids for the unknown – futureproofing them. Our goal is to produce kind young people who’re lifelong learners and responsible digital citizens. Going forward, we need flexible, critical thinkers. Those who can adapt with agility to unforeseen circumstances. We’re equipping them to see what’s happening out there – we want them to have the tools to look at the world, and find solutions,” says Jackie Cook, Chief Operating Officer.
Plus, to add more social value, Teneo remains focused on extracurricular classes. Recently, the Teneo School Choir was introduced and the young entrepreneurs club believes strongly in nurturing students to become future business owners: “South Africa needs a nation of self-starters and entrepreneurs to create positive action,” says John Shaw. To this effect, a weekly online class called Commerce Crew was created for Grades 7 to 11, with guest entrepreneurs giving talks, and students given guidance on how to set up a business plan, run an online shop, and more.
In addition, Teneo runs a 12-week tertiary programme called Launchpad, which is an entrepreneurial skills-based course, ideal for a student taking a gap year.
At Teneo, the team recognises the numerous challenges facing the new world, whether it’s environmental or social. They want their students to be global citizens, to be hands-on in a world that is becoming increasingly isolated. “They’ll need to find solutions to world problems,” says Jackie Cook. “We want them to be able to look at their neighbourhoods, identify the issues, create solutions and activate communities to work together to solve them.”
In some ways, with the future being unknown, Teneo students and staff are on the education trail together. Being part of a school that focuses on skills for tomorrow, it’s critical the teachers are dedicated lifelong learners too. The Teneo outlook makes for an exciting and creative education journey for all.
FOR MORE INFO www.teneoschool.co.za; or call Linda on 082 925 5532
